If you haven’t taken a look at the full 2018 Women & Automotive agenda, you can find it here!

We’re very excited about the first speaker on deck for this year’s Women & Automotive Canadian Leadership Forum, Becca Polak. She’ll be delivering the opening keynote, “Accountability, Action & Change in the Automotive Industry.”

Becca Polak is chief legal officer and secretary of KAR Auction Services, Inc. and president of TradeRev. As chief legal officer, Polak oversees strategic legal and business planning, the handling of litigation, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate communications. As president of TradeRev, Polak focuses on diversifying TradeRev’s product and service offerings while accelerating its growth across North America and around the globe.

Prior to assuming this role, Polak served as executive liaison between TradeRev and KAR. She joined the company in 2005 as associate general counsel and was promoted in 2007 to executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of KAR. Over the course of her career, she has worked on more than 30 acquisitions valued at more than $1 billion. Polak holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a doctorate of jurisprudence from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

“The rapidly transforming automotive industry means there’s never been more opportunity for women to own their careers — but you’ve got to go all in and make the opportunity; it won’t be handed to you.” — Becca Polak

Polak’s keynote will address some of the most serious and persistent hurdles in advancing women’s careers in the automotive industry: Sexism and gender bias. While the industry may want (and need) more female leaders, women in automotive often continue to experience sexism and gender bias that can inhibit their career growth. This session will offer real-world strategies for fighting bias and owning your career while exploring how emerging industry trends may provide new opportunities for those who are savvy and nimble enough to recognize them.

Expect steps and action items to eliminating gender bias as well as strategies for fostering an inclusive environment in your office and the automotive industry as a whole.

Becca Polak speaks at 10:15 a.m. in the Metro East room of the Westin Harbour Castle in downtown Toronto. Click here to register for Women & Automotive and see Becca Polak deliver this address. Early bird discounts of up to $400 apply through Feb. 28.